Filter rods (also described in the present text in general as rod-like articles) made of both a single type of filtering material as well as multi-segment rods comprising segments made of various materials are necessary for manufacturing cigarettes. The rods are supplied to the manufacturers of cigarettes in cardboard containers, there are known multiple various devices for filling such containers. These containers constitute usually cuboidal boxes which have a relatively large bottom and four low sidewalls (their height being adjusted to the length of rods packaged inside them) and a removable lid. However they are not rigid and usually are not suitable for filling or emptying without the use of additional means in the form of carriers, into which the containers are inserted throughout the filling process.
In the tobacco industry various carriers are widely used, usually rigid, made of plastic, for temporary storage of rod-like articles such as cigarettes, cigarillos, filter rods or cigars. Such a conventional carrier, known inter alia from the description of German utility model application DE1882950U, may be used for temporary placement of a container made of a non-rigid material inside it.
Furthermore, a carrier adapted for emptying of a non-rigid filter rod container provided with a cross member holding the container so that the rods just before unloading are closed in a space limited by five walls is known from publication GB2148853A.
On the other hand, a circulatory carrier into which a container made of non-rigid carton-like or cardboard material is inserted, and out of which the container is removed upon being filled with rods, or rod-like articles in general, is known from publication EP2596708A9.
When a carrier of the abovementioned type is used to fill containers which are not rigid, the container from which the lid has been removed, is placed inside the carrier so that during filling thereof its bottom and two shorter side walls are positioned vertically, the container being situated so that one of the longer sidewalls is supported by the bottom of the carrier, and the other longer wall, which after being placed in the carrier constitutes its upper wall, is tilted in order to enable filling the container with rods from the top. Therefore, the space limited by the bottom and three sidewalls of the container is filled with rods. After filling the container its upper wall should be tilted back to be placed in its original position, closing the perimeter of the container.
The arrangement of filter rods in the container desired by cigarette manufacturers is a honeycomb-type arrangement, meaning maximum filling of the container space with no gaps between the rods. The cigarette manufacturers also expect the rods in the containers to be slightly compressed, since with too loose arrangement of the rods there is a risk that rods in the container may position themselves obliquely in relation to the others.
An inconvenience of the known carriers of the abovementioned type is that while using them to fill the containers, the tilting sidewall is locked in such a way that in order to tilt it back and place in its due position after filling the container and subsequently to close the container, it should be firstly unlocked, for which it is necessary to remove the container from the carrier. It is a major hindrance, since while removing the open container with one sidewall still tilted, the rods—particularly if they are slightly compressed—can easily spill out.